


The Zig Files

by free2write1017



Category: The Freshman & The Sophomore (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-04-20 22:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/free2write1017/pseuds/free2write1017
Summary: A collection of oneshots about everyone's favorite barista turned college student, Zigmund Ortega from The Freshman/The Sophomore/The Junior-a visual novel created by Pixelberry within their Choices: Stories You Play mobile app.  These stories are primarily featuring Zig and the MC but other characters within the game appear as well. Most of these stories were written back when Zig was first introduced in Book 3 but I will continue to add more stories as I play through the Sophomore and Junior books. Thanks for stopping in and I hope you enjoy!*Note: These stories aren't necessarily in order, but I will do my best to provide an adequate note at the start of each oneshot so you know the context of when it was written and roughly what it is about. Also, all characters belong to Pixelberry. And finally, these stories contain spoilers for The Freshman, The Sophomore, and The Junior books in Choices: Stories You Play.





	1. A New Start

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! 
> 
> A while ago I wrote quite a few oneshots about my favorite love interest from The Freshman/The Sophomore, Zig. I took a hiatus from the game for almost a year and have now returned with a desire to keep playing that series and I can already feel renewed writing fire igniting inside me! Yippee! I also have a lot of catching up to do as they have finished the book I was in and added two more since I've been gone.
> 
> Anyway, this was one I wrote at the end of The Freshman Book 3 after we discovered that Zig had gotten accepted into Hartfeld University. It's one of many I wrote back then because that was such an exciting time to be a Zig fan! So, keep reading and I hope you enjoy!

It was a warm, clear day but she wasn’t going to be able to enjoy it. She gazed briefly out the window in disdain before turning back to the computer screen.

She sighed in frustration as she continued typing, finding herself deleting and rewriting the same line over and over. This novel was going to be the death of her. She loved Professor Vasquez dearly and missed him just as much. But part of her still couldn’t believe he’d tasked her with finishing his book.

One more paragraph…just _one_ _more_ was all she needed. Then she would be ready for her next meeting with Professor Atiyah. She would also be free to call up Zig before he had to head to work.

Things had been going well between the two of them since they’d started dating a month ago. He was the most attentive guy she’d ever been with. He always seemed to be able to tell when she was feeling down or frustrated and knew exactly what to do to cheer her up. He regularly brought her coffee and little baked goods from work. He’d learned quickly that the strawberry scones were her favorite and he made sure she stayed stocked up. A sly smile appeared as images of their last late night romp flashed through her mind. _He was no slouch in bed either._

As if on cue, the door to Professor Vasquez’ office opened and there stood her boyfriend, looking anxious and worried. She got to her feet, immediately coming toward him, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

“Hey, you. I didn’t expect to see you here. Is everything okay?”

He hesitated before responding. “Yeah. I’ve just been…thinking about something. You got a second?”

She nodded, trying to ignore the knots forming in her stomach. Her heart was pounding mercilessly in her chest. She’d never seen such uncertainty in his expression before. It was unnerving and she braced herself for bad news.

“Of course. What is it?”

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at the carpet before finally looking back up at her. “So, I was thinking about that scholarship. The one I helped Chris and Arjun with? I was thinking maybe I might go for it.”

He still looked unsettled and she took both of his hands in hers, fighting the squeal threatening to break free from the back of her throat. “Are you serious?”

“I’m not totally sure but yeah, I’m thinking about it.”

“That’s great, Zig!” Her mouth split open onto a wide grin. He nodded half-heartedly and her smile faltered. She led him to a couple of chairs across from the desk. Something was obviously bothering him and she intended to find out what it was.

“You don’t seem at all excited about this,” she observed quietly.

He shrugged and blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m just…worried, I guess.”

She squeezed his hands. “About trying?”

Another shrug. “Something like that. I’ve just spent a long time struggling to stay afloat. Every time an opportunity to do something better with my life came along, it was immediately squashed…sometimes because of my own screw ups and sometimes because of things I couldn’t control. It was almost like some cruel joke.”

She nodded sympathetically as he continued.

“Then I moved here and met you and you care about me just as much as my family does. In fact, you’re the only girl I’ve ever dated who liked me for more than just the physical stuff. And on top of that, this scholarship appeared and I started to feel pressure because I don’t want to disappoint you or my sisters or…”

“Yourself?” She finished for him.

He paused before giving one quick nod. She stroked his cheek tenderly with her thumb. “Hey, you know I want this for you. But, I’m not trying to make you do it. I’m happy you helped out Chris and Arjun with the initiative and everything else. You’re a big reason this scholarship even exists now and it’s going to help a lot of people. But you did that because I wanted you to. All I ask is that you do this now because _you_ want to.”

He gazed intently into her eyes, apprehension still etched in them. Then he groaned as he got to his feet and began pacing back and forth in front of her. She bit her lower lip, wondering if anything she was doing or saying was helping him feel better.

“I know. I just keep thinking I’ll mess this up too or they’ll just say no to me. I don’t know if I can handle that…”

She stood, drawing him into a hug. She slipped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. If nothing else, maybe she could try to calm him with her touch. He rested his chin on her head, heaving a deep sigh as his arms nestled around her.

“I know this is scary and it’s a big risk. But whatever you decide to do, I’ve got your back. Okay? No matter what, you’re not alone, Zig.”

He nodded again before leaning down and resting his forehead against hers. Momentarily they both looked into each other’s eyes. He spoke first.

“Thanks. I’m grateful for you, you know that?”

She nodded, smirking. “As you should be. I’m a catch.”

He chuckled at her teasing and she smiled. It was just the reaction she was hoping to get. Then he glanced at his phone screen. “My shift’s starting soon. I’ll call you when I’m off, okay?”

“Please do.” She winked and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing her and disappearing out the door with a wave.

She collapsed back down in her chair at the desk, her fingertips at her temples. Everything inside of her wanted him to go for this. He’d been trying to hide it, but she knew just how badly he wanted to go to school. She’d seen him pausing to glance at textbooks in the bookstore whenever they stopped in. She’d noticed him eyeing the course catalog with a highlighter to mark classes he was interested in. It stung her to watch him shove down that desire and he seemed to be doing it to spare himself the disappointment and to avoid his own feelings. But that’s not what she wanted for him. She would almost rather hear him yell or scream if it meant she got to see him express a genuine emotion about his future.

That’s why she hadn’t been fazed by his anger outburst in the cafe back when Chris and Arjun had first proposed this plan. Although she was upset to see him hurting, she was also happy to see the passion behind his anger. To know that he cared about more than just keeping her safe. That he was starting to consider caring about himself.

She returned back to her work, still with the image of his troubled look etched into her brain. She hoped he would decide to put himself first for once and go for this opportunity. She would be right there to help him with whatever he might need. But, as much as she wanted to talk him into it, she knew she would have to let him make this decision on his own.

~o0o~

Somehow, she found herself with a little alone time in the suite on a Saturday afternoon. All of her roommates were off hanging out with friends or each other and she was enjoying having the space to herself. Zig would be coming by any minute which would make her afternoon that much better.

She still couldn’t help thinking back to the day they’d talked about the scholarship. It had been a couple of weeks now and she’d promised herself not bring it up but inside she was a ball of nerves. He’d been so conflicted and tense that day, she was positive he wasn’t going to go for it. She knew the deadline was fast approaching and it took all of her willpower not to pester him about it. Everything would be fine in the end, whether he went to school now or not.

She heard a quick knock at the door and jumped up instantly. When she answered, Zig stood on the other side of the door, his signature smirk on his face. He looked so sexy and she’d been craving him for the past two days. Without a word, she yanked him through the doorway and slammed the door closed, locking it behind him. Then she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him toward her, causing their lips to crash together. She attacked him hungrily, her kisses moving from his top lip to the bottom one and back again. She was just beginning to deepen the kiss while slipping her hands underneath his shirt when he reluctantly pried himself away, flushed and breathless.

“Woah, hold up there, tiger!” He teased, his hands raising in mock defense. She narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms.

“Seriously, Zig? I tell you we have the whole suite to ourselves and you don’t want to _do_ anything?!” She didn’t even try to hide her frustration and he chuckled.

“Hey, relax. Of course I want to! I _always_ want to. But I have something to show you first.”

He pulled out his phone and opened up his email. He then scrolled to one particular message and held it out for her to see.

_Dear Applicant,_

_We are writing to inform you that we have received your complete application package for the Second Chances academic scholarship. You will be notified as soon as selections for the upcoming school year have been made.If we should need any additional information from you, we will contact you directly with…._

There was more in the email but she could no longer concentrate on the words. She couldn’t believe her eyes…he’d actually gone for the scholarship on his own! She shifted her gaze to his and held it for a moment, clearly seeing the excited glint in his eyes. Then she suddenly slammed into him, wrapping him up in a bear hug. He stumbled backward a few steps with the force of her embrace but quickly recovered, chuckling. She felt him stroke her back, giving her a small squeeze back.

“Oof! Hey, babe, could you loosen up a bit? I can’t breathe.”

After a moment, she pulled back, searching his eyes.

“So you did it, huh?”

He nodded sheepishly. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped.”

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to go through with it. And when I finally decided to, I really wanted to do it on my own. I also thought it might make a nice surprise for you.”

She grinned. “It’s the best surprise ever. But, I have to say…after that conversation we had, you didn’t seem like you were going to apply.”

He nodded with a shrug. “Honestly, I really wasn’t sure. It seemed like a long shot. I mean, why would they pick me? I still feel that way now but something in me just told me I need to stop wasting my time. This could be a new start for me. So I went with it.”

She carefully placed her hand against his breast bone and slightly to the left, her fingers splayed out across his chest. “Sounds like you’re finally listening to your heart.”

He nodded, slipping one arm around her waist and pulling her close. He placed his other hand on top of the one she had near his heart and curled his fingers around her smaller ones.

“I already did it with you and that decision is turning out to be my best one yet. So I just hope I’m lucky enough to have it happen again.”

Her face heated up instantly and she smiled. This time he leaned down toward her and gently pressed his lips to hers. He pulled back after a moment, his gaze finding hers again.

“Thanks for being there for me through this.”

“Zig, you’ve been there for me since day one. It’s the least I could do. And I really believe you can get this scholarship. So don’t worry too much, okay?”

He smirked. “I’ll try.”

“How long until you hear back?”

He thought for a moment. “I think the email said they’ll start notifying us in about a month or two.”

“Alright. So we need to figure out a way to keep you occupied until then.”

An intensity entered his gaze as he leaned down to gently kiss her neck. “I think you were on the right track earlier.” His words came out as a hushed whisper against her skin and she felt a tingle run down her spine.

“Yeah?”

“Definitely.”

He continued to work his way around with his kisses until he reached the other side of her neck, settling on an area between her jawline and earlobe. She felt her entire body shudder and a needy moan escaped her lips. _Dammit_ , he knew exactly where her spots were.

“How much time do we have?” He murmured.

“A couple hours.” She was barely able to think straight, much less form a coherent response.

He nodded. “Perfect.” Then, in one swift motion, he lifted her up easily, one arm at her back and the other behind her knees. He made a beeline for her room and she giggled as he attacked her neck with more playful kisses.

As much as she was ready for some one-on-one time with him, she couldn’t help but think about how proud of him she was. He’d stepped far outside of his comfort zone to apply for this scholarship and she could only hope that his efforts would be rewarded.

But more importantly, he was finally going after his dream. She couldn’t wait to be there by his side when he finally achieved it.

 


	2. Coffee Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of the first fics I wrote when I began playing The Freshman book 3 and decided Zig was my MC's one and only. I believe this was written after the first Gutter Kittens concert when Natasha and Rachel had acted like jerks to Tyler. The whole crew defended him and lashed out at the band, which caused Kaitlyn to basically take the band's side. I had a head canon that involved the MC running into Zig after trying to resolve things with Kaitlyn and getting some much needed comforting from him. Though we had barely met him at this point, I could tell he would be good at this. Anyway, here goes one of the first Choices fics I ever wrote. Enjoy!

She wandered through the quad, having just finished up her last class of the day. It was only noon but she couldn’t seem to enjoy the free time she now had. Part of that was because she really needed to be working on the next chapter of the book Professor Vasquez had requested she write. James had agreed to meet with her the next day to give her his notes on the last chapters she’d written and to hand off the new chapters. Unfortunately, her heart just wasn’t in it.

A light breeze tickled the skin of her arms and tousled her hair. Spring had officially arrived and the plant life was in full bloom, but she barely noticed. All she could think about was the fight.

She’d tried to talk to Kaitlyn about everything that had been going on involving her new friends and it had been one of the most difficult conversations she’d ever had. But she didn’t want to think about that at the moment. She just needed a second to breathe.

She finally stopped walking, gazed at the building before her, and almost burst into laughter. How had she ended up in front of the coffee shop? Had she unconsciously walked there? And why?

Well, she knew exactly why. The sexiest barista on the planet happened to work there. But she would never want to show him this depressed, brooding version of herself. So instead of walking through the glass door, she plopped down on a nearby bench. Maybe if she sat there for a little while, she could get herself to feel okay enough to pretend to be normal in front of him.

It couldn’t have been more than five minutes before she heard the bell on the coffee shop door jingle. Then someone slipped in next to her. She didn’t look up, but she knew exactly who it was. Without a word, he handed her a medium sized paper coffee cup with a lid and sleeve.

“I got you this. You look like you could use it.”

She glanced sideways at him, a tight smile coming to her lips. “Thanks, Zig. I really appreciate it.” Then she paused before continuing. “How did you know I was out here?”

“I saw you through the door. Why didn’t you come in and say hi?”

She took a giant swig of her coffee as she felt Zig’s eyes trained on her. She knew she must’ve been pouting now and that it was probably worrying him but it was impossible for her to fake it now. This was exactly why she’d tried to avoid him in the first place. But they were sitting together on the bench now and there was no turning back.

“I kind of have a lot on my mind,” came her reluctant reply.

He nodded. “I can see that. What’s up?”

She heaved a deep sigh. She didn’t feel like getting into a discussion about the ins and outs of the recent drama between her and Kaitlyn. Still, Zig might be the one person who could remain objective and actually give her some honest feedback. At the same time, this was a lot to dump on anyone, especially this new person in her life.

“It’s just…there’s some stuff going on and it’s kind of a long story.”

“I have time if you want to talk. I’m on my break so for the next 30 minutes, I’m all yours.”

His signature smirk appeared and she couldn’t fight the small smile that played at her lips. He playfully nudged her.

“That’s better. So, tell me what’s going on.”

She launched into the story about the concert and how the band had teased Tyler. She explained how everyone jumped down their throats as a result which caused Kaitlyn to defend them. Zig shook his head, his brow creasing in frustration.

“Wow. I get that they were just giving him a hard time but that’s a pretty mean thing to say. And in front of his girlfriend?!”

“Yeah. It was really bad. And that wasn’t our first run in with the band leader either.”

“So, did you guys talk about it yet?”

She grimaced. “I tried to. She’s been avoiding all of us, saying she has band practice and school work. But I knew the truth. So I cornered her last night before she could sneak away again and kind of demanded we hash things out.”

“Good for you.”

“Well, not really. The conversation did not go well. She accused us of being too judgmental because the band is different than we are. I accused her of abandoning her real friends for basically a group of strangers she didn’t know yet. We started yelling and finally I just shut it down. She said I was a bad friend and selfish and that she’d stay where she was wanted and accepted…with Natasha, the band leader. Then she just…left.”

By the time the story was done, she was surprised and dismayed by the stinging sensation behind her eyelids. It wasn’t like this was new territory for her and Kaitlyn but this time hurt worse for some reason. And, even through all the other problems they had, she’d never felt the need to cry or have a breakdown in front of anyone. But now she was sitting down outside of the coffee shop with Zig and that’s exactly what was about to happen.

She stared straight ahead, fighting as hard as she could against her emotions, trying to blink back the tears. The last thing she wanted was for the one guy she was most interested in right now to see her at her worst. Before she could make a move to hide her feelings from him, Zig tentatively placed a hand on hers.

“I’m sorry. I know that must hurt. But what she said about you just isn’t true.”

She shook her head, sniffling as she tossed her now empty coffee cup in a nearby trash can. She hadn’t even realized she finished it during the course of the conversation.“It doesn’t matter because I have no idea what to do. I don’t think I can fix it this time.”

“This time? So, this has happened before.”

“Yeah. In the past, I just waited until she would talk to me again. It’s always me waiting for her to let me back in …hoping she’ll stop being mad at me long enough to communicate…apologizing first.” She tried to mask the bite in her voice but she wasn’t sure how successfully she’d managed that.

Zig shook his head again, frowning. “That’s not fair to you.”

She chuckled darkly. “I know but what are my options? When Kaitlyn doesn’t want to talk to me, she doesn’t. You know what? Why am I even doing this?! If she doesn’t want to be my friend, then I should just let her go, right?”

The pleading look in her eye prompted him to caress her hand.

“I’m not sure. But I can tell you care about her and I hope you guys get a chance to at least talk again before you make any decisions.”

Her shoulders slumped, as if she’d been deflated. Part of her had hoped he’d just agree with her and join in her anger. But of course he had to take the rational high road.

“Maybe. I’m kind of tired of talking to her and going through this over and over with her, but I should try I guess. And thanks for listening to me complain. I’m sure this isn’t how you intended to spend your break.”

He smiled, his eyes lingering on hers.  “No, it wasn’t. But I’m glad you stopped by.”

“Zig, I just made you suffer through my lame sob story about my friend drama. You can’t tell me I’m great company right now.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. I’d rather have you here, just like this, than not here at all.”

If it was one of his lines, she couldn’t tell. She just knew that the way her heart had started pounding and her stomach had twisted into knots, she was really starting to like this guy. She gave him a genuine smile and he nodded.  Then a mixture of relief and regret filled her as she realized how good it felt to share her feelings with Zig but also that she’d have to part ways with him for now. She slowly got to her feet and he joined her.

“So, I need to go get some writing done.”

He nodded in understanding. “Right…the book you’re working on. How’s it coming?”

“Barely. Every time I want to start working on it, something comes up to distract me.”

Zig quirked an eyebrow up. “I hope I’m not one of those distractions.”

She grinned. “You are a little bit, but I don’t mind being distracted by you.”

He smiled and she was barely able to contain the heat pooling inside. He had no idea how easily he could command her attention. With great effort, she tore her eyes away from his, glancing at her watch.

“But, I really do need to go. I’m way behind on this new chapter. Hey, at least now you still have some time left to take a real break.”

“I was enjoying being here with you but, if you have to go, I won’t keep you.”

Then his expression softened as he searched her eyes. “You sure you’re okay?”

She shrugged, her gaze drifting down to the pavement. “I don’t know. This is just a big mess.” She rose her eyes to look into his light brown ones. “But I’m glad I was able to talk to you about it. So, again, thank you.”

On instinct she stepped toward him, her arms reaching for him. She’d intended to give him a quick hug but Zig slipped his arms around her waist while pulling her close and instantly it became something more tender and comforting.

She found herself drawn into the contact as he wrapped her up, his thumb gently stroking her lower back. She rested her head against his chest, sighing. His hold was firm yet still gentle and protective at the same time.

This was what she really wanted…someone to let her vent, to really listen to her, and to understand her. Someone to truly be in her corner. Maybe she’d finally found that someone in Zig.

They stood that way for a long moment and she’d never felt so peaceful. He eventually released her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as they parted. Her face instantly heated up as she locked eyes with him. She swallowed hard as she saw Zig’s gaze flick to her lips before returning to her eyes. She knew what he wanted and she wanted it too…but not right that moment. So, in an attempt to break the sudden overwhelming sexual tension, she rose an eyebrow playfully, thinking back to the day they’d faked being in a relationship.

“You know, you don’t have to pretend to be my boyfriend anymore.”

He smirked. “I’m not.”

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. Well, that had completely backfired. She knew Zig was flirtatious but this felt very different.

“Zig…I…”

“Was that too much? I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “No, not at all. I just want to make sure I’m not reading this wrong.”

He smiled, grasping her hand and gently cradling it in his. “Don’t worry…you’re not.”

She felt her mouth go dry. She almost couldn’t believe this was happening. Giddiness was slowly starting to take over her and she struggled to hold back an excited squeal.

“Hey so, can I call you after I get off work? I want to make sure you’re doing okay. And I just want to talk to you.”

She nodded, probably a little too vigorously. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Zig chuckled. “Okay, good. I’ll catch up with you later. And don’t work too hard.”

“I won’t. Bye, Zig.”

He gave her hand a quick squeeze and she found herself grinning madly. The way her mood lifted when he was around was shocking. Then he winked and she waved before he turned and headed back inside the coffee shop.

She took a couple of deep breaths, trying to regulate her erratic heartbeat. Zig seemed to have an electric effect on her nervous system and she loved it. She couldn’t wait to get to know him better and spend some real quality time with him.

She instantly whipped out her cell phone, preparing to text one of her friends about the exciting encounter with Zig when she paused, her finger hovering over the screen. She and Kaitlyn were fighting, Abbie and Tyler had isolated themselves from the group to avoid Kaitlyn, Zack was spending most of his free time Skyping with Brandon and locked away in his room, Chris was busy working with the student government on new initiatives, and James had all but disappeared into the abyss that was his screenwriting. Who was she supposed to share her news with?

She shook her head and frowned as she slipped her phone back into her purse. Better to not bother any of them right now.

With that, she continued her journey toward Vasquez’ office to continue working, all the while thinking of the way Zig had held her in his arms. She hadn’t felt that cared for in a very long time. It was something she could definitely get used to. Suddenly the day seemed more bearable and she sighed in contentment as she turned down the pathway toward the faculty offices.

She smiled, picturing Zig’s handsome face once more, before disappearing inside the building.

 


	3. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, folks. Well, this is a little story I wrote randomly, again around the completion of book 3. I enjoyed how at the start of the book, there was a little hinting going on of a potential connection/friendship between Chris and Zig. They came from similar broken homes and both struggled with troubled pasts. So, this idea came to me that it would be nice to see them hanging out together while also getting a chance to talk about one of the things that really binds them together. I hope you like this and feel free to let me know what you think!

Chris stared down at the array of peppers before him and swallowed hard. He tried to remind himself of where he was. He knew this kitchen well. He and his suitemates had many late night snack binges here. They’d had their first college party in this space. It was the heart of their little home. But in that moment, it felt like the least safe place he could possibly be.

Zig had handed him a knife and he was at a loss for what to do with it. He felt like he was on a reality television show, where he’d get yelled at and kicked out of he did this wrong. So he tried to buy himself some time to think. After a moment of turning one pepper, laying it on its side, and then standing it up and gazing at it from several angles, Zig interrupted his stalling by clearing his throat.

“Hey, Chris…you know you don’t have to examine the peppers before you chop them, right?”

Chris eyed Zig sheepishly, standing upright. He knew the comment was meant to be teasing but he really was stressed out about it. “Are you sure you want me as your sous chef? I’m pretty bad at this.”

Zig regarded him silently before joining him at the counter.  “Give it to me straight. You’ve never cut a bell pepper before, have you?”

Chris paused, briefly considering stretching the truth a little so he wouldn’t look as stupid as he felt. But, eventually he sighed in defeat as he shook his head and Zig nodded, chuckling.

“No worries…all you had to do was say so. There’s a process to it but it’s pretty simple. Here, watch this.” He took the knife and a pepper, and demonstrated by first cutting the top off the pepper. Then he reached inside and pulled the core and seeds out. He placed the pepper top down and sliced it in half and then began to cut each half into long slices. Then he lined up all the slices and cut those into smaller pieces. Before long, he had a pile of nearly identical tiny bell pepper squares. Once he finished, he placed the knife back down on the counter and wiped off his hands.

“Voila! Diced bell pepper.”

Chris stared at the contents of the cutting board in awe. “Wow. Dude, that was amazing! You really know your way around the kitchen.”

Zig shook his head with a smirk as he returned to the fridge. He pulled out a bag containing what looked like a steak in a marinade of some sort and began examining it. “Had to, man. My mom worked a lot and, even though she cooked most of the time, I still had to step in here and there to make dinner. And me and my older sister always helped her cook meals.”

Chris nodded as he slowly plodded through the steps Zig had just shown him. He managed to pull all of the inner parts of the pepper out without spilling everything on the floor and gave himself an internal pat on the back for that accomplishment.

“That’s it. You got it.” Zig gave an encouraging nod as Chris started slicing the halves he’d just made. He couldn’t keep the small smile that crept onto his face from surfacing.

He paused for a moment, wondering if he should ask his next question. Maybe it was too personal, but he was curious. He’d always been curious about how Zig’s life compared to his. Ever since they’d talked at the sorority party and found out they had so much in common, Chris had wanted to pick his brain. But the timing never worked out and that semester had been crazy. Now seemed like as good an opportunity as ever.

“So, you said your mom kicked your dad out, right?” he gazed intently at his cutting work as he asked and he could almost feel Zig’s eyes turn on him.

“Yeah…I did. How did you know that? I only told one person about that.”

 

“True. And that one person wrote a book about her Freshman year of college, including her interactions with you.”

Zig chuckled, shrugging. “Ah, of course. You read her manuscript too. I’d almost forgotten she put that part in there.”

“Anyway, I was reading the chapter about you helping her babysit when I came across it. Great job on that, by the way. You’re good with kids, you cook, you can administer CPR…what  _ can’t _ you do?”

Zig shrugged. “It all came out of necessity. Like you said, my mom kicked my dad out so someone had to step up and help. Me being the only boy and the second oldest child meant I had to take on a lot of responsibility at a young age, ya know?”

He had finished examining the beef marinade and placed it back in the fridge while also grabbing a few more items out. Chris nodded his head in understanding. It was uncanny how similar their lives had been in childhood and how well he related to his new friend’s struggles.

“I totally get that. As you already know, I was in the same boat as you. It wasn’t easy to have to take on so much work. I kind of resented it for years.”

Chris reached for the final pepper as Zig frowned. He seemed suddenly agitated by a memory.

“I did, too. I’m still pretty pissed at my dad, to be honest. Haven’t seen him since he left and don’t plan on seeing him ever again.”

Zig’s tone had shifted to something dark and Chris glanced up at him, worried he’d brought up a subject that was too sensitive. But Zig seemed to shift back to his nonchalant demeanor quickly and crossed his arms.

“It’s cool, though. It’s better that he left. He would’ve continued to make our lives miserable if he’d stayed.”

Chris paused, looking down at his work thoughtfully. He’d gone many years feeling the way Zig felt. He’d harbored so much anger toward his father that he would even get snappy with his family. As a teen, he’d look in the mirror and want to shatter the glass so he couldn’t see just how much his hair color, eye color, nose and jaw line resembled the man. But time and mentoring had given him perspective. He hadn’t completely forgiven him, but he was no longer held hostage by his hurt feelings.

“I gotta say, Zig…I used to wonder how my life would’ve been different if my dad had been around and done what he was supposed to. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so lost…maybe my view of myself wouldn’t have been so low. But, looking back, I don’t have too many regrets about how my childhood went. We struggled as a single parent family but we survived and are stronger now. It’s part of who I am today and I appreciate that aspect of it.”

Zig smiled, joining Chris at the counter with a couple of tomatoes in hand. He placed his free hand on his shoulder. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

They both stood in a companionable silence, continuing to chop ingredients. Chris was enjoying the process of prepping, especially now that he had some idea of what he was doing. Then it dawned on him that he wasn’t completely sure why Zig was going to all of this trouble in the first place.

“Hey, so, what’s the special occasion? Why the big, fancy dinner?”

Zig’s cheeks reddened slightly and Chris suppressed a slight smile. Suddenly, he had a guess as to who this dinner might be for.

“No reason. I just know how stressful things have been lately...” Zig was avoiding eye contact and Chris gave a knowing smirk.

“...specifically for your girlfriend,” Chris prodded, eyeing him pointedly. Zig hesitated before nodding grimly. He sighed deeply, the sound making him momentarily seem older than his years. 

“She’s been spending a lot of her free time meeting with the publisher and editor for the book…on top of her trying to keep up with class work. I can tell it’s starting to get to her.” He paused and Chris looked up at him again. Zig’s eyebrows drew together in concern, as if contemplating his next words.

“I know she likes to be there for everyone else all the time. Sometimes she just forgets about herself. I want to remind her that  _ I  _ haven’t forgotten about her.”

Chris smiled, slowly shaking his head. On a good day, he’d never felt that strongly for anyone. It looked like these two were the real deal. He couldn’t be happier for them.

Just then, Zig’s nervous voice cut into his thoughts. “So, you were the first one to meet her, right?”

Chris’ expression softened at the memory. “Yep. We literally bumped into each other in the quad.”

Zig smirked knowingly. “Yeah, she has a habit of doing that. She almost took me down at the sorority party.”

Chris raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Why am I not surprised at all by that statement?” 

Zig shrugged, a tender smile gracing his lips. “ I guess it’s just one of her quirks.” His smile then gave way to a worried frown as he continued. “But, anyway…do you think she’ll like all of this or am I doing too much too soon? We’ve only been together a few months and…um… I don’t want to freak her out. Plus, I know she said she likes Carne Asada and so I’m making it but what if she hates the way I cook it? And the salsa recipe might not have the ingredients she likes…“

Chris held his hands up in the air, effectively stopping Zig in mid-sentence. He’d never seen his roommate’s boyfriend so worked up before. “Woah, Zig. Relax! She’s going to love this. Because, for one, you’re cooking is her favorite. And, more importantly, she’ll appreciate that you thought of her enough to do all of this. Also, it doesn’t hurt that she’s in love with you.”

Zig stared down at the counter top, a grimace appearing.  “I hope you’re right, man.”

Chris lowered his knife, raising an eyebrow at Zig’s uneasy expression. “You’re kidding, right? We’ve all heard her tell you she loves you over and over…just like you tell her nonstop. In fact,  she even tells  _ us _ how much she loves you. Do you not believe her?”

Zig blew out a breath. “I believe her, but at the same time, I still find it hard to imagine that she would really feel that way about me.”

Chris nodded, understanding coloring his expression. For all his good qualities, Zig was one of the most self-deprecating people he’d ever met.  “I get it and I know you get down on yourself. But, believe me, you have nothing to worry about. Don’t overthink it. Just take her at her word.”

Zig reached for the stove top grill and grinned. “I’ll try.”

After a moment, Chris set down his knife triumphantly. “Done! Bell peppers are diced.”

Zig eyed the pile before breaking into a smile. “This looks great. You might just be a natural!”

“Well, I guess it’s time to switch my major from Political Science to Culinary Arts, then.”

They both burst into laughter and, by the time they’d calmed down, Chris had grabbed a towel to start cleaning up his mess. Before he could get too far into the process, Zig halted him.

“Hey, I got that. You go ahead. I don’t want you to be late for your  _ hot date _ .”

Chris felt his face flush. "It’s a  _ study session, _ “ he clarified and Zig rolled his eyes playfully.

"Look, I know I’m new to the whole college scene, but I’m pretty sure ‘studying one on one with a girl you like’ is considered code for ‘making out’.”

“Well maybe for some people. But I really like her and want to get to know her first. So, no making out today.”

Zig nodded in understanding. “ I can respect that. And, seriously, Chris…I’m happy for you. Good luck tonight.”

“Thanks, man. I think I’ll invite her to that party we’re throwing next week so everyone can meet her.”

“Sounds like a plan. Looking forward to meeting her.” Zig replied, half distracted by the meat he was about to begin cooking.

Chris started gathering together his wallet, phone, and other belongings for the study session. He double checked his book bag to make sure everything he would need was there. He disappeared into his room and rummaged around for extra pens and highlighters. All the rest of his roommates were gone and it was eerily quiet, except for the sounds of running water and utensils clinking from the kitchen. As he paused one more time to make sure his bag wasn’t missing anything, Zig spoke up.

“Chris, before you head out…I just wanted to say thanks.” Zig turned away from the stove, looking a little uneasy, but Chris just shrugged it off as he waved a hand dismissively. He was used to Zig’s occasional awkwardness by now.

“Oh, no sweat. Once I got the hang of the cutting technique, it was pretty fun. I appreciate the lesson.”

Zig shook his head quickly, biting at his lower lip. “No, I wasn’t talking about that. Well, I mean, thank you for helping me out with that too. But I was actually referring to…you know…the stuff we talked about. And the relationship tips. Thanks for  _ that _ . It was a good talk.”

Chris smiled. “Yeah, same here. I really don’t talk about that with anyone because I feel like they can’t relate. So, It’s really nice to finally meet someone who does and isn’t afraid to go there. Anytime you want to share war stories, I’m here. And, though I’m not a love expert, I’m happy to offer my help. ”

Zig reached out to grasp his hand and Chris met him halfway. Then they pulled together, giving each other a partial embrace and a couple of pats on the back for good measure. “I’ll take you up on that. Definitely.”

Chris glanced at his watch. It was getting close to the time he needed to make his exit. His nervousness wasn’t going to let him stay any longer, even if that meant being extremely early to the study session. “Alright, I’m heading out. Let me know how the dinner goes. And don’t forget to tell her who cut up the bell peppers for the salsa.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get credit for your part. Now, go on.” Zig shot him a thumbs up before returning to his cooking.

Chris then grabbed his things and stepped out into the warm afternoon air. Then, with one last adjustment to the book bag slung over his shoulder, he walked toward the library with a smile on his lips and a little more spring in his step.

 


	4. College Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. But now, alone in the dark, he finally felt his smile falter and knots twist at his stomach. His mother’s bliss, the excitement of his sisters, his own elation…they all made him feel undeniable pressure. The heavy weight of everyone’s expectations sat on his chest like a boulder, making it hard to breathe. Why did he deserve such an opportunity over others in his shoes? How could anyone really know he’d be able to live up to the dream?"  
> Zig ponders his future and his self-worth in this solo oneshot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, friends!
> 
> As I stated earlier, I was very inspired by the ending of book 3, where we learned that Zig would be starting school in the fall. I wrote so many fics based on this concept and this is another one. This one was especially interesting for me to write because there is no pairing and basically no other major characters. Just Zig and his thoughts. I hope it's an enjoyable read for you and feel free to let me know what you think of it!

Zig couldn’t sleep. He lay in the darkness of his bedroom, a light sheet draped across his legs and his arms behind his head. He was no stranger to restless nights. He’d had more than his fair share throughout the course of his life. But this time, instead of images of handcuffs, flashing red and blue lights, and his mother’s tear-stained face as he was sentenced in court, his mind was focused on something new. Something that would change his life forever. Something that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn’t have been possible.

_ We’re pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hartfeld University on a full academic scholarship. _

The words replayed over and over in his mind. He could still remember the moment he read that portion of the acceptance letter. He’d been overrun by feelings, but the predominant one had been elation. He’d shouted and thrown his arms in the air. It was the most pure expression of joy he’d displayed since childhood. And with a childhood so marred by fear and struggle, even those joyful moments were few and far between.

He smiled in the darkness of his room as he thought about the first phone call he made after receiving the news. His mom had answered on the second ring, sounding anxious because she knew he’d be hearing about his application soon. Before he got all the words of his good news out, she’d started sobbing and saying how proud of him she was. He would never forget the pure delight  he detected through her tears. His own eyes had misted over at hearing her so happy. He finally had a shot at doing right by his family and repaying his mom just a small portion of what she’d sacrificed for him throughout his life. She deserved this win more than anyone.

Eventually, he convinced her to hand the phone off to one of his sisters so he could continue sharing his news.  Momentarily, the whole family was standing around his mom’s phone with the speaker on, screaming and congratulating him. After a boisterous  conversation about him needing to come home soon so they could have a party to celebrate, he’d hung up. His heart felt light and his cheeks were sore from grinning so much.

The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. But now, alone in the dark, he finally felt his smile falter and knots twist at his stomach. His mother’s bliss, the excitement of his sisters, his own elation…they all made him feel undeniable pressure. The heavy weight of everyone’s expectations sat on his chest like a boulder, making it hard to breathe. Why did he deserve such an opportunity over others in his shoes? How could anyone really know he’d be able to live up to the dream? The dean of the university had basically single-handedly gotten him into school and now he had to deliver. Failing would not only make him look bad, but it would make everyone who stuck their necks out for him look bad, too.

_ This is insane. Everyone believes in me. They’ve put their faith in me. But why? What have I done to deserve special treatment? _

This was the thought that kept popping up every time he let himself fantasize about what it would be like his first day in a lecture hall or during his first study group at the library. He would suddenly be painfully reminded of his flaws. How could he hope to measure up?

His friends would say his actions at the presentation were proof of his worthiness. But all he’d done was stand and talk about himself. And he’d barely accomplished that because he’d all but been dragged there against his will. He was glad his talk helped, if it really did, but that was nothing. Some might even say it was his high intelligence that made the difference. He was willing to admit that he was smart, but there were many smarter than him. He remembered at least two guys from juvie who consistently out-performed him on tests and assignments. So, to him, that was yet another undeserved compliment.

In many ways, he felt like just another statistic. His mother had begged him not to be. But she could see it…the anger in his eyes when someone teased him or tried to mess with his sisters. She could see it way back then when he was only a boy in elementary school. Now he too could see the truth. He’d inherited more than just his height and jawline from his sorry excuse of a father. He’d also picked up his penchant for flying off the handle and his tendency to prove his worth through hand to hand combat.

His mother had tried to warn him over and over. She attempted to reason with him and even punished him when he’d get suspended for protecting a defenseless kid in school. She always said he had a good heart but bad execution. Unfortunately, stubbornness was yet another strong family trait he’d picked up along the way. So instead, he chose to stick with what wasn’t working.

That’s why he was surprised back then when she showed up at the police station, bail money in hand, after the arrest. He knew she’d either borrowed it or let a few bills go to get the money. He never understood why she didn’t just let him stay in there and wait out his court date like he deserved. He’d told his sister to make sure she didn’t try to get him out. Later on, when he asked her why she did it, she’d responded indignantly that no son of hers was going to sit in a holding cell for taking care of family.

That was the first of many times she’d end up handing over cash she couldn’t spare in order to help him. Court fees, attorney fees, fines…it all equaled insurmountable debt. And eventually, after the final verdict, he was officially no longer a noble defender but instead a violent criminal. It was a foregone conclusion that school would forever be off the table. Yeah…he was definitely following in his old man’s footsteps.

But suddenly he was in a new city with a new job and new friends. For some reason, even with his recent mistakes, he was still granted a once in a lifetime opportunity to earn a higher education on the school’s dime. The impossible had been made possible. And yet, he was nearly drowning in uncertainty.

As he lay in bed reminiscing, he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to connect somehow. So, he turned on his lamp and pulled open the drawer next to his bed. The first thing his hand touched was a small card. He picked it up gently. He slowly trailed his thumb along the red cardstock cover and the raised gold foil print that read ‘Thinking of You.’ He flipped it open and let his gaze travel over the handwritten message within:

_ Mijo, please don’t worry about what you deserve or whether or not you’re good enough. You are exactly where you’re supposed to be and you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. Just focus on giving it your all and you’ll be fine. And remember, we love you always and to us, you deserve the world. So show them what you’ve got and, most of all, be happy. _

He half smiled, blinking rapidly to avoid an embarrassing show of emotion. His mom had sent him the card in the mail after a phone conversation he had with her about these overwhelming feelings. It was such a motherly thing to do but it had been just the push he needed.

He was finally starting to accept that his doubts about himself would never cease. The shadow of his father’s failures and his own screw ups would be a constant, looming threat. But it was messages like these, the pure and loving voices in his life, that would help him win those daily battles against his fears. Ultimately he  _ would  _ win the war.

His phone buzzed just then and he saw a text message from one of his sisters.

_ Mom’s still going on and on about you and being super dramatic. She’s so proud of you that it’s kind of ridiculous. But we’re proud too. Good job, big bro. I guess you’re a college man now! ;) _

He shook his head with a laugh. As he started writing a snarky yet appreciative text back, he mulled over the nickname in his head.

_ College man _ …it definitely had a nice ring to it.

 


	5. I'm Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another oneshot I wrote from book 3. I wrote this right after the chapter when James and the MC spent the day together before he moved to L.A. to pursue his movie deal. They hung out that night and then visited Professor Vasquez' grave as well. Then, when she returned home and was feeling off about everything, she sent a text to Zig and asked him to pick her up. In the chapter, you had the option to contact him and then hang out with him and go to the back seat and so on. I enjoyed that scene very much but I also wanted a little more to happen that night in the way of their relationship blossoming. So, I wrote a little extension to the scene here and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for checking out my fics!

Sitting in the back seat of Zig’s car and not having sex was a bit surprising to her. It wasn’t that she expected to just jump in the sack with him every time she laid eyes on him. Most times maybe, but not _every_ time. It was just that, no matter what their plans were, usually their intense desire for each other would win out and they’d find themselves naked and entangled in the nearest private space. Yet, tonight was different and this moment felt more right than any other. As she lay on top of him, she breathed in his scent and let his words echo in her head:

_…like I said before, I’m here for you, no matter what._

He’d proved that over and over to her. Punching out Sebastian for grabbing her, supporting the student council initiative she was helping with, talking her through her feelings about her friendships changing, spending the evening with her when all her friends were too busy, stepping in to help her babysit at the last minute…the evidence was overwhelming. Even tonight, all she’d sent him was a text message asking him to please come pick her up if he was still awake because she couldn’t sleep and needed some company. He’d been at her door in an instant, no questions asked.

Zig carefully sat upright and repositioned himself in the back seat, making sure she was comfortable as well. He continued to hold her in his arms as she rested against him contentedly. She’d grown so close to him over the past few months and now she wanted more. But what did _he_ want?

“So, did you have a nice day with James?” Zig questioned and she smiled, grateful for the distraction from her current train of thought. She gave a slight nod.

“I did. We ate at this great restaurant and found this silly photo booth and then went to the park. I did have a little run in with his agent, but I’ll tell you about that some other time. Anyway, I enjoyed spending the day with him. It was…um…” she trailed off, images of the cemetery suddenly flooding her brain. A heaviness settled in her chest and her eyes misted over. She hadn’t noticed how long she’d been silent until Zig stroked her cheek. She glanced up at him and he was looking down at her, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Hey, tell me what’s on your mind.”

She sighed, reaching for his hand and intertwining her fingers with his. “Remember when I was telling you about Professor Vasquez?”

“Yeah. He’s the one you were working for when you started school, right? He passed away recently?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s his book that I’m working on now.” She paused, before continuing hesitantly. “James and I decided to go to his grave site.”

Zig squeezed her hand and she instantly felt tears well up. Earlier with James at the cemetery she had expected herself to break down completely. Somehow in that moment, her need to be strong for him had taken over and she’d managed to hold back her emotions. But here with Zig, she felt comfortable and safe letting him be strong for her.

“Neither of us had been to visit him yet and the funeral was private so we couldn’t attend. Tonight was a good time to say our goodbyes. It was our best chance to do it together.”

He nodded, a somber expression on his face. “I’m glad you both got that chance.”

“Me too. It was nice to get closure. But, Zig…it was… _really_ hard.” Her voice wavered and then broke as the tears that had welled up earlier finally spilled over. She buried her face in his chest, feeling both ashamed and relieved at the same time. But she knew if anyone would be accepting of all of her feelings, it was him.

“I know,” he murmured. He gently traced circles on her back with one hand as he held her close with the other. She clutched him tightly, crying silently into his shirt. Her breath hitched in her chest and Zig stayed steady, continuing to cradle her in his arms. He occasionally pressed a gentle kiss to her temple that sent a warm rush through her each time he made contact. With every second in his embrace, she gradually felt herself starting to relax. Momentarily, her tears died down to sniffles and she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

“I’m sorry about all this. You’d think he was my dad or something, the way I’m carrying on.”

Zig tilted her face toward his, gently swiping at a stray tear. Then he searched her eyes. “He meant a lot to you. It’s okay to miss him. And it sounds like you never really got a chance to mourn his death”

She nodded, glancing out the window. A fresh wave of sadness hit her, causing her eyelids to sting. “I don’t say it all the time, but he did a lot for me. He challenged me and forced me out of my comfort zone. He helped me learn to trust myself. He’s also the only reason I was able to stay in school in the first place. I wouldn’t have made all these wonderful friends…” She felt her temperature spike as she looked back at Zig. “I wouldn’t have been here to meet _you_ if not for him.”

“Then I owe him a huge debt, too.”

They smiled at each other as she settled back against him, feeling much lighter. It was as if her burden had been lifted and she knew it was because he was willing to share the weight along with her.

“Do you mind telling me a little more about Professor Vasquez? I’d love to hear it.” Zig’s tone was curious as he trailed his fingers along the length of her arm. She smiled gently.

“Well, I already told you that Gabriela is his daughter. But, what I didn’t tell you is that they were estranged until I interfered and helped reunite them.”

“Really?! I’ve got to hear this.” He sounded completely shocked and she chuckled. She went on to briefly explain how she found Vasquez’ letter to Gabriela in the trash and contacted her about it. Retelling the story reminded her of how much she’d meddled in their lives and she felt slightly embarrassed. But Zig shook his head in awe.

“So, it really was all because of you.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, kind of. He got very angry with me when he found out what I did and I was sure he was going to fire me. But once I told him Gabriela was pregnant and convinced him a little, he truly wanted to reconnect on his own. Shortly after that, his cancer secret was revealed and he was finally able to talk with her. He ended up being there to see Rico come into the world and Gabriela got to spend time with him before he passed away. In fact, Rico is named after him.”

He gazed at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. “Wow. You’re amazing.”

She returned his look, though her eyebrow was cocked up in confusion. “Huh? Why do you say that?”

“Do you have any idea what you did for them? They got to be together again and say their final goodbyes because of you. His daughter is able to be at peace with him because of you. He got to meet his _grandson_ because of you. So, yeah…you’re amazing.”

She blushed, a small smile coming to her lips. “Thanks, Zig. But right now I don’t feel amazing. I feel like kind of a mess.”

He smirked. “Well, then…you’re _my_ mess. A beautiful one, at that.” He gently traced her jawline with his fingertips and her body temperature sky rocketed. She sat up slowly, her eyes locking with his. This felt like the right moment to say what had been on her mind for weeks now.

“Zig…I really care about you.”

“I care about you, too.” He eyed her uncertainly but she pushed forward, fighting against the knot in her stomach and the lump in her throat.

“And I know we only met a few months ago but it doesn’t feel like that to me. You said it last week and it’s true….it’s like I’ve known you my whole life.”

At some point, he’d reached over and taken both of her hands in his. The warmth of his touch gave her the courage to keep talking. “I’m so happy every time we’re together and I miss you so much when we’re apart. I just want to be with you. _Only_ you. Does that sound…possessive?”

He grinned. “Yeah. But I want that too. I’ve never wanted to be with someone more than I want to be with you.”

Her nerves had dissolved into giddiness and she grinned back at him. “So we’re…you know…a thing now?”

He chuckled. “Yes. We’re a thing now.” Then his expression softened as he caressed her cheek. “I’m yours.”

She slid onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as she gazed into his eyes. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “And I’m yours.” She pressed her lips to his and he returned the gesture, gripping her waist. They shared several soft, gentle kisses before he pulled away.

“So right now it’s either really late or really early, depending on how you look at it. I know you need to get James to the airport in a few hours so what do you want to do?”

“I want to stay with you.”

He squeezed her waist, smirking. “I want you to stay with me too, but we need to make sure you get at least a little rest before you have to leave for the airport.”

She sighed, giving a mock pout before smiling. “You’re right. I should head back home. And maybe you can get some sleep before your next shift.”

“I’m closing tonight so I’m good to go. It’s you I’m worried about.” He kissed her gently once more and her entire body tingled. Leaving him tonight was going to be harder than she thought.

“Alright, fine…” She couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice and he caressed her shoulder.

“Hey, don’t sound so sad. I fully intend to see you later on today.”

She glanced up at him hopefully. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to get burnt out on me.”

“Impossible.” He gently ran his fingers through her hair and her entire face heated up. She would never get enough of his touch. Then he took her hand as he opened the car door. “Now, let’s get you home.”

She exited the backseat and followed him to the passenger side of the car, his hand still encircling hers. She couldn’t remember feeling so delighted and content in her life. Just as he was about to open the door for her, she stopped him, pulling on his arm. He paused, turning back toward her questioningly.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to say thank you again for tonight. Well….for everything. Earlier I was thinking about how you’ve been there for me from day one before you even knew me. I still can’t believe I met you and now I get to be with you. I’m lucky.”

He pulled her back toward him, his arms snaking around her waist. “That’s very nice of you to say but you have it a little backwards. I’m the one who’s lucky to be with _you_.” She grinned, leaning in for a quick kiss. Before he could pull away, she tacked on two more pecks for good measure. A look of amusement colored his features.

“Now I’m starting to get the sense that you’re stalling…” His smirk had returned and she shrugged, raising an eyebrow playfully.

“What would give you that idea?”

He chuckled, pulling the car door open for her. “Let’s go, flirt.”

Once inside, Zig pulled away and headed back to campus. He took her hand in his and kissed it before placing it on his leg. As she gazed at the beautiful skyline and the wonderful man sitting next to her, she couldn’t keep the smile off of her face.

With all of the unsettling changes going on around her, this new relationship was one change she was more than ready for.

 


	6. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little thing was written at some point during book 3 of the Freshman. It doesn't really fit into the timeline of the book, but I'm sure I wrote it somewhere near the end. I was already excited about the future for my MC and Zig and so I found myself picturing a moment when they were able to spend a school vacation together and how it might go. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

She still couldn’t believe her luck. There was nothing she’d done to deserve this, yet here she stood in the embrace of the most amazing man she’d ever met overlooking a stunning city skyline.

He’d slipped both arms around her waist and his torso was pressed up against her back as his hands rested on her middle. The warmth emanating from his frame helped to fight off the slight chill in the air that was cutting through the thin, long sleeved tee she wore. A shiver ran down her spine and she snuggled more deeply into his hold.

“Still cold?” His heated breath against the delicate skin of her neck caused another involuntary ripple to shoot through her.

“A little.” Her tone was sheepish and he smirked.

“Sounds like you’re regretting not bringing that jacket I suggested you pack.”

She turned to face him, her eyebrow raised in warning. “Zig…”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop giving you a hard time about not bringing your  _ jacket _ , even though I  _ specifically  _ told you to.”

She rolled her eyes and he smiled before pulling her in closer. She rested her head against his chest, her eyes closing and a contented sigh escaping her lips.

“This is partly your fault, you know,” she murmured and he gasped in exaggerated shock.

“How? How is that even possible?!”

“When you told me the weather in your hometown is nice during Spring Break, I believed you!”

“It  _ is  _ nice out. But it’s still just a little cold. In about a month it’ll really start to warm up.”

“See, this is all information that would have been helpful to have when I was packing.”

Zig shook his head in disbelief, chuckling slightly. “Just admit it. Admit that you didn’t trust my knowledge of the weather patterns in a place I’ve lived all my life.”

“No, I won’t admit that.”

Zig gazed intently into her eyes for a moment and she just knew he could feel her heart hammering away against her ribcage. Even now, the effect he had on her with just one glance was unbelievable.

“My stubborn girl,” came his teasing reply. Then he drew her into a kiss. His tongue expertly coaxed her lips apart and explored familiar territory. His hands traveled downward, gripping her hips, as he pulled her flush against him.

He deepened the kiss even further and she felt her knees weaken ever so slightly. One of his hands palmed the small of her back as the other slowly trailed lower, finally pausing between her thighs. She moaned, the sound muffled by his lips. Soon, she couldn’t take anymore and she pulled away, flushed and breathless.

“Zig, just give me a second…” she panted, gripping his jacket to steady herself. He’d almost taken her down with that kiss.

An amused twinkle came to his eye as he pulled her back toward him, gently pressing his lips to her temple. “Okay, we’ll save the rest for later. But I bet you’re not cold anymore.”

She playfully swatted his arm. “Whatever.”

Then she turned back around to face the horizon. “This view is amazing. How long have you known about this place?”

“Ever since I was back in middle school. I used to come here to clear my head.”

“Yeah? Were you one of those thoughtful types?”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t say that. But our house was always filled with people. With all of us, plus the friends my sisters would invite over…I was constantly surrounded. And I was usually the only guy.  So sometimes I needed a break.”

“Understandable.”

They stood in silence and he rested his cheek on top of her head as her mind wandered. She could clearly picture a younger Zig sitting alone here, staring at the city. She was already feeling calmer just being there with him so she understood why he liked this spot so much.

She turned to look up at him, smiling. “Thanks for sharing this with me, Zig. It’s beautiful.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad you like it. Anytime you’re in town, you’re free to come here.”

“Why, thank you. I guess I’ll allow you to keep coming, too.”

He laughed before turning her back toward him to give her another quick kiss. Then he took her hand.

“Let’s go grab a bite. I know a place downtown.”

“Okay.”

A short train ride into the city landed them in the middle of a bustling street. It was so much bigger than she’d ever imagined and she stared in awe at the people rushing to their destinations.

Zig tilted his head to the right, motioning for her to follow. “It’s just a few minutes from here. This way.”

He led her down a relatively empty city block. Just as they turned a corner, he suddenly stopped short, his grip on her hand tightening. She glanced up at him and the look on his face was one of barely contained fury.

“Zig, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t respond but continued to glare past her at someone in the distance. She followed his gaze and her eyes fell on a tall man chatting with another guy. The man seemed to be telling a joke and his friend laughed uproariously moments later. He was wearing a bright red jacket and a baseball cap. At that moment, Zig’s voice cut into her observation.

“Let’s go.”

His tone was flat and cold. His eyes had narrowed to slits and his jaw remained clenched as he turned on his heel and began to walk in the other direction.

“Hey, babe, I need you to tell me what’s going on.” Her voice was on edge but she tried to remain calm.

“I will…I promise. We just need to get out of here first.”

He walked briskly through the busy downtown area still grasping her hand, and she struggled to keep up with him. All the while, her mind raced as she worked to figure out what had set him off so badly. She kept thinking about the man he’d stared daggers at but couldn’t make the connection.

Momentarily, they came to a quaint diner and the pair slipped inside. Zig  walked her to a table in the furthest corner of the room and they both took seats.

His expression had shifted from rage to pain and his fists were balled up tightly on the table top. She gently pried them open and curled her fingers around his, lightly stroking the backs of his hands with her thumbs. Instantly he started to  relax.

A waitress appeared then, taking their drink orders and offering menus. As soon as she disappeared, Zig heaved a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry about that. I just-”

“It’s okay. I was just trying to…” she trailed off. Her eyes widened as realization suddenly hit her. Something had finally clicked and she stared at Zig in shock.

“What is it?” he asked, eyeing her uncertainly.

“I was just thinking…I haven’t seen you this upset in a while. Not since you told everyone a year ago about how you got your criminal charges.”

Zig eyed the table, before returning his gaze to her.

“It’s him, right? The one in the red jacket and cap is your sister’s ex, isn’t he?”

Hearing her refer to the guy caused Zig to tense up again. But he finally nodded reluctantly and her brows furrowed in frustration.

“I can’t believe this…what are the chances of us running into him on the street in a big place like this?!”

“Apparently pretty high,” Zig spat out, glaring into space.

She searched his eyes. “I know you’re upset, but it’s okay. He didn’t see us so…”

“I’m not worried about him seeing us. I left to keep myself from hurting  _ him _ .”

His breathing became slightly more shallow and he was clutching her hands tightly. He seemed to be staring off into space but she knew he was trapped in a memory. Or, worse yet, a nightmare.

“Zig, listen to me. You’re here in the diner with me and it’s safe. I’m safe. Your sister’s safe. Okay?”

He eyed her and her chest tightened at the sadness and worry she saw there.

“But what if she’s not? I doubt she knows he’s back in town. I thought he’d moved away but it looks like he’s here again.”

“We don’t know that. He could be just visiting or something. Besides, she’s still got the restraining order, right?”

He shrugged. “I told her not to let it lapse but I don’t know if she kept up with it.”

“Okay. When your family gets back in town in a couple of days, just check in with her. But for now, she’s not even here so he’s not a threat to her.”

He nodded, lifting her hands to his lips and lightly kissing her knuckles.

“Yeah, I guess.” He gazed into her eyes. “I just can’t believe I’m still so angry at him. It’s been five years…I thought I’d be past all that.”

They paused to give the waitress their lunch orders before continuing the conversation.

“Why do you think you’re not past it?”

His mouth set into a hard line. “Because I can’t forgive what he did that day.”

He looked so hurt and she frowned, suddenly feeling like she was too far away from him. She got up from her seat across the table and scooted into the seat next to him. She clutched his hand, her fingers lacing between his. He stared down at the tabletop silently before finally speaking.

“I was in the house stacking some of the boxes onto a dolly and she was outside near the moving truck. We tried to time it so he wouldn’t be there when we were. I thought we were going to be home free because we were nearly done.”

He absently tapped his finger on the table, a nervous habit she’d noticed he had. He only did it when he was anxious and she felt her own nerves fraying at the thought if his discomfort.

“I just remember hearing loud voices and I hesitated, trying to figure who it was. Then I heard her scream. It was…” he trailed off, looking away, and she squeezed his hand gently.

“I’ve just never heard anyone sound so terrified. I ran out of the house as quickly as I could and he had her by the arm. It was almost like he was trying to drag her to his car. She was crying and she called out to me. I still hear it in my head sometimes.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a few deep breaths before continuing. “Something in me just snapped and I ran straight at him. I knew I had to get him to let her go. I got between the two of them and started trying to push him off. He called both of us every name in the book and, when I finally got her free, he wheeled around on me.”

She let out an imperceptible gasp. She couldn’t imagine going through something like that. Her heart hurt for him.

“He blamed me for her leaving…said I poisoned her against him. That’s when he took a swing at me. I dodged it and then started laying into him. I honestly don’t remember much about that moment, but I knew I wasn’t going to stop until I made sure he couldn’t hurt my sister or anyone else again.”

He released a deep sigh and leaned back against the booth seat.

“It’s like, every time I picture him or see him, I hear her screaming and calling for me. I can’t seem to turn it off. That’s why I don’t think I can ever let him off the hook.”

The food arrived then, but neither of them made a move to eat. She tenderly ran her fingers along his jawline.

“Zig, that must’ve been so scary…”

He shrugged. “Maybe. But, I don’t remember feeling scared. I just know I felt something rise up in me. Like I had to do something…anything…to keep her safe.”

“Is that what you were feeling when Sebastian grabbed me?”

Zig locked eyes with her before slowly nodding. “I knew it wasn’t exactly the same situation, but I was so focused on protecting you, I didn’t care about the consequences.”

“You went through all of that, risked so much, and you didn’t even know me.”

Zig smirked. “I knew enough. I saw you standing up to that asshole and you weren’t backing down. I was impressed. And I also knew you were beautiful and I knew I wanted to get to know you better. So, when he grabbed you, it wasn’t a hard decision to make. I just automatically reacted.”

She nodded, a sad smile coming to her lips as she cupped his cheek.

“I get it, Zig. You know how I feel about fighting but, like I said back on our first date…I understand why you did what you did to your sister’s ex and Sebastian.”

“And you didn’t think I was some kind of monster? You weren’t scared of me?” He seemed to be only half-joking and even looked a little uneasy. She shook her head firmly.

“Of course not. I could never be with someone I’m scared of. You’re caring and sweet and strong and passionate…but you’re not scary.”

He smiled, kissing her softly on the lips.

“Thanks for saying that. After hearing my history, some people get a little freaked out. I’m used to being judged by my past.”

“Well, clearly they don’t know you. You wouldn’t hurt a fly…unless that fly was coming after me.”

They both shared a laugh at that and then he softly stroked her arm, shaking his head.

“I can’t believe I never told you that whole story. We’ve been dating almost a year…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s painful. And it’s not something we would bring up in everyday conversation. But I hope it helped to share it now.”

“I actually do feel…less angry.”

Then he ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. “I honestly don’t know if it will ever go away completely, though.”

“I know. But even if it hurts just a little less…well that’s enough for me.”

He leaned in, tenderly brushing his lips against hers before settling into a warm kiss. They smiled at each other as they pulled apart. Then Zig finally turned toward his food and swiped his fork.

“Okay, I’m starving. Let’s eat and then we’ll do some more sightseeing. Sound good?”

“Yeah. As long as you’re still up for it,” she agreed, reaching for her own plate. She paused to glance at him carefully and he nodded firmly.

“I am. I’m not about to let him ruin our vacation.” He cast a genuine smile her and way she grinned, inwardly sighing with relief.

She knew they’d have plenty of time to talk more about his past and she hoped to be there to help him make sense of his feelings. But for now, they’d earned a small victory over his painful memories and were closer because of it.

And somehow she knew that, as long as they worked together, everything would be okay.

 


	7. Stuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember how frustrated I was about what was going on between Zig and the MC when I wrote this. This little fic materialized on the heels of the book 3 chapter after the MC and Zig had the concert fight. She'd taken off to L.A. to visit James and get away from it all. And she received a call from Zig while she was there, which she chose to ignore. I remember screaming at my tablet for her to answer the damn phone already so they could make up! Then, I remember being angry that she never called him back, even after she ended up leaving James early and going home the next day. So, when she appeared at the coffee shop and had such a gut-wrenchingly horrible interaction with Zig, I was completely understanding how Zig felt. I was super mad at my own MC! LOL. But the game continued on and explained that Zig was still mad about the concert fight, which I didn't love. I felt it would make sense for him to be angry about attempting to apologize to her when he called and her choosing to ignore him. Those feelings were so strong, that I had to write this little thing to help express what I imagine was going through his head after the MC and Zack left the restaurant that morning. So, here it is and I hope it's an enjoyable read for you!

He could still hear her and her roommate talking and caught a few words here and there…something about a bag of coffee and him not coming back out to the counter. She was perceptive as always. Although it didn’t take a genius to figure out he was angry with her.

As much as part of him wanted to keep listening to the reassuring quality in her voice he normally enjoyed, right now it was too painful and he simply wanted her to leave. He tossed his rag over his right shoulder and leaned his head against the wall, his eyes squeezed shut and his jaws tightly clenched. Then he began kneading at his left shoulder, trying in vain to loosen the tense muscle there.

Yesterday had been one of the worst days of his life. He’d gone against every fiber of his being and called her up to apologize. After he’d been the one to storm off the night before, it only made sense for him to be the first one to reach out. But she hadn’t answered the phone. He was only mildly surprised because he knew she had to be mad and hurt that he’d pushed her away. But when she didn’t call or text him back the rest of that day or this morning, he could feel the anger slowly building up. Eventually it had gotten so strong that he couldn’t see past it. The solid curtain of rage was thick and heavy…making it impossible for him to clearly make out the regret in her beautiful eyes only moments earlier and the cute way her lips curled downward when she’d frowned. Her attempt at making amends had fallen on deaf ears.

_ You said you’d always be there for her no matter what. Is this what that is? Ignoring her and hiding in this room like a scared little kid? _

Zig shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of his incessant and annoying thoughts. Of course he’d intended to be there for her, but she’d been pretty clear about not wanting him around anymore. At least that’s how he’d taken it. Plus, she ignored him first. So she deserved this…right?

He sighed heavily. No part of him would ever truly believe that. She deserved so much more than this and most of the time he doubted his own ability to give those things to her.

_ I’m not good enough for her. I’ll never be good enough for her. _

He heard the door chime and knew they’d left. A pang hit him and he swallowed hard. As much as he was upset, it physically hurt him to know that this time she was the one walking away from  _ him. _

He turned, his back now pressed against the wall, and closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt exhausted.

_ That’ll happen when you don’t sleep all night. This girl’s got you all messed up, huh? _

He frowned before sliding down to the floor into a sitting position, his head in his hands. It was true and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Normally he was the one in control, able to move things forward on his own terms and escape when necessary. Not this time.

How had their relationship ended up in such disarray? That first day he’d seen her right here at the cafe, he’d been struck momentarily speechless by her beauty. At first he’d panicked, thinking one of the guys she’d come in with was her boyfriend. But no one grabbed her hand or slipped an arm around her waist or kissed her cheek. Relief had washed over him. Maybe he had a chance.

Then he’d talked to her, and found out she was more than just another pretty face with an equally tantalizing figure. She was intelligent and caring and loyal and not afraid to stand up for what was right. She was more than he could’ve imagined he’d find in one stunning individual. He could picture her meeting his sisters, his  _ mom _ …they’d all love her and she’d fit right in with them. In fact, she fit perfectly into his life and it was the first time he’d felt truly happy in years.

But now all he sensed was dread. He had to figure out a way to fix this. Their individual apologies couldn’t have been more poorly timed but he had to do something,  _ anything _ , to salvage this.

“Dammit…” This was getting out of control. Not only the situation but his feelings for her.

He pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and opened his messages. He stared down at the empty text box with her name on the recipient line. What was he supposed to say?  He eyed the screen for a full minute, his fingers clutching the phone so tightly his knuckles were white.  _ Come on, come on…think! _

Just then the bell on the cafe door chimed. He groaned as he glanced at his watch….looked like it was nearly  time for the morning rush. He got to his feet and exited the messaging screen. Then he locked the phone and slipped it into his back pocket just as one of his coworkers walked in.

“Hey, man. Sorry I’m running a bit late. Did you finish the prep?”

“I’ve got a couple more things to do.” Zig yawned and stretched, then rolled his shoulders. He briefly rubbed his temples before turning toward the stocked shelves and blowing out a breath. His head was throbbing but he had to power through. Time to focus on the task a hand.

His coworker gazed at him or a moment with one eyebrow raised, shrugging off his windbreaker. “Dude, you look like shit. You feeling okay? You can go home and I’ll call someone in. “

Zig began grabbing cups and napkins as he shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Just tired. Help me with these?”

His coworker frowned but nodded, taking the napkins from him. “Sure. But you should seriously get some sleep.”

Zig chuckled darkly, smirking. “I should, shouldn’t I?”

Before the conversation could continue and grate on the only nerve he had left, he hurried out of the back and began placing cups on the counter.

He’d figure all of this out later. For now, he had work to do.

 


	8. The Best Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another little thing I wrote at some point during TF3. I imagine it was toward the end after we knew a lot about Zig or possibly after they entered a relationship together. This may have also been written for a prompt about friendship but don't quote me on that. Anyway, I stand by my story that Zack is the MC's actual best friend rather than Kaitlyn because Zack is usually the one of the group who actually asks how she's doing and talks to her about things that are happening in her life while she spends all of her time doing that same thing for everyone else. And, though this is from Zack's POV and has a lot of interaction between her and Zack in it, I felt it had enough Zig x MC in it to include it in this collection. So here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

Zack heard her slam the front door shut and run straight into her room. She slammed that door too, as if the action would release her pent up anger. He sighed. Must’ve been another argument with Zig.

Things had been tense between them the past few weeks because Zig had been working extra shifts at the coffee shop and as a result, spending less and less time with her. Zack tried to offer his support. He tried to remind her that Zig loved her and would never hurt her on purpose. He even tried to distract her with her favorite foods and games. But none of it seemed to be working as well as he’d hoped. Now, he was thrust into the role of helping with damage control again.

He approached her room, softly knocking at her door, and heard her groan.

“What?!” Her voice was angry and loud but he didn’t care.

“It’s me. I’m coming in.”

“No! Just leave me alone…”

“ _ I said, _ I’m coming in. If you don’t want me to, here’s your chance to lock the door.”

There was silence as he paused to listen for movement inside. Of course, she didn’t come near the door or make any attempt to lock him out. She never did, even though he always gave her the option. Deep down, she wanted to talk.

Zack finally opened the door and peeked inside. “Is it safe? You’re not going to throw something heavy at me, are you?”

She tossed a pillow half heartedly in his direction and he smirked. One glance at her tear-filled eyes and he shook his head despondently, his own expression dropping. He sat down carefully beside her on the bed.

“What happened? You’re a little more worked up than usual.”

“Haha, Zack. Very funny.” She swiped at her eyes and sniffled. “Look, it’s not my fault my boyfriend is blowing me off left and right. It’s our anniversary this weekend and he just said he has to work so we can’t celebrate until who knows when! On top of that, he’s been picking up extra shifts at work for the past few months. What gives? I mean, does he not like me anymore?” Her voice broke at the end of her tirade and Zack knew she was on the verge of a complete meltdown. The dam was about to break and he was hoping he was ready for it.

He placed a hand on her arm. “You know Zig loves you more than anything in this world. I bet he has a really good reason for all of this.”

She  pouted, her lips turning down and her eyebrows drawing together. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m graduating in May and he’ll be right behind me in December. We’re planning to move in together. But now I’m not so sure. I’ve already been through this when he was taking a heavy class load last term and during summer to catch up to me. I’m proud he made up almost a whole year but at what cost? And now he’s suddenly a workaholic?!”

Zack bit his lip. This was getting bad. He needed to talk to Zig  _ immediately _ .

“Look, you’re stressed out and upset right now. You shouldn’t be making important decisions about your future when you’re feeling like this. Why don’t you take a nap and relax? I know you guys can figure it out. You just need to have a conversation with him.”

She threw her hands up in frustration, her lower lip starting to tremble. “I’ve tried. He just gives me some vague excuse and changes the subject. I don’t think I can talk to him about this anymore.”

Suddenly, her face crumpled and she collapsed in bed, tears finally bursting forth. There it was…the breakdown Zack had been expecting. His chest tightened as he fought back his own emotions. No matter how long they’d known each other, he always hated to see her cry. He gently stroked her hair.

“It’s going to be okay. I promise. Just rest.”

After a few seconds she released a shuddering breath. “Hey, thanks for being here. You’re the most caring best friend I’ve ever had, you know that?”

“I know. Now get some sleep.”

She closed her eyes, her halted breaths still evidence of the crying fit she’d just had. Eventually, her breathing evened out and Zack knew she’d finally nodded off. He tiptoed out of her room and into the living room, trying not to wake her. At that moment an insistent knock sounded at the door and he cringed before hurrying to open it. Zig stood there looking distraught and Zack ushered him inside. As soon as the door closed behind him, Zig ran his hands through his hair in agitation.

“Zack, I fucked up.”

“Ya think?! She is  _ pissed _ !” He knew he was failing to keep the exasperation out of his voice, but he couldn’t help it. Zig eyed him in panic.

“Where is she?”

“Sleeping. What happened? I thought you were going to do it this weekend? Why are you telling her you have to work?!”

“It was going to be a surprise! I’m working extra hours this week so I can take the weekend off. I was going to show up here and tell her I managed to get a few days off. Then we’d spend the day together and that night I would take her to the coffee shop after closing and  _ ask _ her.”

Zig glanced around before producing a ring box and popping it open. A glittering diamond solitaire engagement ring sat nestled in the black velvet box. Zack carefully took the box in his hand and stared in awe at it. His mouth dropped open. “Wow. That’s stunning. All those extra shifts really paid off. Good job!”

“I’ve been putting aside money for it pretty much since we started dating three years ago. It’s not the most expensive one but I hope it’s good enough.”

“Are you kidding me? She’ll love this, trust me.”

Zig began pacing the living room while wringing his hands. “Yeah, well it does me no good if she says no! I mean, she came to see me at work today and we started talking about this weekend. When I told her we’d have to wait to celebrate, she went off. Then she just ran away. I had to basically beg my co-worker to cover for me so I could come after her. What do I do?”

His pleading look was more effective than ever and Zack blew out a breath. “I really think you need to sit down and talk to her. Tell her the truth about why you’ve been working so hard.”

His brows furrowed as he folded his arms across his chest. “But what about the plan? I've never done this before, but I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to to tell her I'm planning to propose to her before I actually do it!”

“Don’t give her details. Just say you’ve been saving up for something special for her for your anniversary. Tell her it’s a surprise or something. Maybe that will be enough.”

He let his arms fall helplessly at his sides, as if already defeated. “What if she figures it out?”

“Figures what out?” a third voice spoke up out of nowhere.

The two men looked up to see her standing in her doorway. Zack immediately shut the box in his hand, praying she hadn’t noticed. Her eyes were red rimmed from crying but she didn’t look angry anymore. She had her gaze trained on her boyfriend.

“Zig? What’s going on?”

He rushed to her side, taking her hand. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I–”

“No. No more apologies. Just tell me what’s happening.” She interjected firmly. She was trying to put on a brave face but inside Zack could tell she was still hurting.

Meanwhile, Zig locked onto her gaze like a laser beam. “Look, I’ve been keeping secrets from you. I wanted to do something special for our anniversary as a surprise but in order to pull it off, I…couldn’t tell you the whole story.”

She appeared to notice Zack shift in her peripheral vision and instantly her attention was on him. “Wait, Zack is that a ring box in your hand?”

Zack stared down at the black, velvet box clutched in his palm.  _ Shit.  _ Why was he still holding it out in front of him like an idiot? He tried to remain calm as he scrambled for an explanation that wouldn’t cause Zig’s whole plan to go down in flames.

“Yeah, um, this is a gift for my mom. Just picked it up from the jeweler. I was planning to give it to her soon.” He clamped his mouth shut before he could say more and get himself too entangled in his own lie.

Her expression softened. “Aw, that’s so sweet, Zack. I can’t wait to see it on her! You’ll have to show me a picture.”

“Heh…yeah. I’ll definitely do that.” He made a mental note to get his mom some sort of ring in the next few weeks. He glanced at Zig who cast him a grateful expression and mouthed the words ‘thank you.’

“Hey, Zig.” Her voice was even more calm now as she returned her attention to her understandably nervous partner. “Back to what you were saying. This was really all about a surprise for me? All the extra shifts and avoiding conversation? Why didn’t you just say so?”

Zig sighed, slipping his hands around hers. He looked away briefly as if gathering his thoughts before plunging in. “This…anniversary is really important to me. I wanted to make it the best one yet. And I guess I thought I needed to keep as quiet as I could about it to maintain the surprise. I really am sorry about not being up front. But, if you’re still up for it, I do actually have the entire weekend off and my surprise is still waiting for you.”

She searched his eyes for a moment, her gaze examining the depth of his fixed look, before breaking into a small smile. “Of course. And I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about this when I was feeling upset. This anniversary is important to me too. I can’t wait to share it with you.”

They embraced and Zack breathed an inward sigh of relief. Somehow he was managing to help keep these two kids together long enough to hopefully get engaged.

When they parted, Zig placed his hands on her waist, gently kissing her forehead. He pulled away, took a quick glance at the microwave clock, and a frown replaced his serene expression. “Time for me to head back to work. Story of my life, right?” He turned to her, a hint of excitement in his eyes. “Hey, will you walk with me? I know I haven’t been as available to you lately, but maybe this can start to make up for it.”

A grin split across her face and she stroked his cheek. “Absolutely! Let me  freshen up and we’ll head out.”

They shared a tender kiss before she disappeared into her room. As soon as she was gone, Zig gave an exaggerated sigh of relief and wiped imaginary sweat from his brow.

“Man, that was close. Zack, you are a master. Thank you for covering for me back there.”

Zack walked to Zig and discreetly handed him back the ring box, which Zig then slipped into his pocket.

“No worries. Just, don’t screw this up again. I’m already in too deep so if you two don’t end up engaged after all of this, I’m gonna need some serious therapy.”

“Fair enough.” Zig chuckled as he placed a hand on Zack’s shoulder. “I think we’re back on track now. Thanks again, man. You really are a great friend.”

Zack rolled his eyes playfully, a smile appearing on his lips. “I know. I’m the best. Now go get your girlfriend and go to work. I’ll catch up with you guys later…I’m supposed to be meeting Abbie and Tyler for lunch.”

The two men embraced briefly before Zack called out a goodbye to his roommate and then headed out the door. He began to whistle as he walked, feeling good about how they’d managed to avoid catastrophe only moments ago. Then he remembered one last loose end he had to tie up. God knew his extremely observant best friend would be following up on the gift for his mom. He chuckled as he pulled out his phone. He selected the contact he was looking for and made the call.

“Hey, Mom! I know…I’m sorry for not calling you earlier this week. I’ll do better. Listen…this question is going to sound strange but, what’s your ring size?”

 


	9. The Nurse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little fic can stand alone, but it was originally written as a part two to another fic that was written that I fell in love with. Basically the original story was about the MC stopping into the coffee shop to visit her new boyfriend (Zig of course) and get a coffee. He makes it for her but, after chatting with her, he sees that she's been having a bad day and realizes she's not feeling well. He leaves her a cute little message on her coffee cup, makes her a little design in the coffee, and that's basically how it ended. I was dying for a continuation where he stops by after his shift to check on her and take care of her and so this is what resulted. Hope you like it!

She thought she heard voices in the living room but she couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that her nose was stuffed and her throat was sore and she was  _ still _ exhausted.

Earlier, after leaving the coffee shop and finishing her last class, she was finally able to head home. For some reason, the little energy she had left had drained away and suddenly it was almost impossible to stay steady on her feet. When she got to the suite, no one was there yet, which she was grateful for. She was barely able to drag herself to her room before collapsing into bed and instantly falling asleep.

Hours later, here she was still in bed and caught between being awake and out cold. The voices she thought she  heard had faded and she wasn’t even sure who they belonged to. Just then, a light knock at her door startled her completely awake. She had no clue how much time had passed and a quick glance out her window showed it was dark outside now. She then eyed her door, which was slowly opening. As soon as she saw the white t-shirt adorning the tall, handsome figure in her doorway, she smiled faintly.

“Hey,” Zig said, closing the door and coming to her bedside. He knelt down beside her.

“Hey,” she murmured in reply.  He leaned over to kiss her forehead, smoothing her hair away. Then he nodded.

“No fever. That’s good. How are you feeling?”

“Like hell.”

“Well, you don’t look it.”

“You’re lying.”

He smirked. “Obviously you  _ do _ look like you’re not feeling well, but you don’t look like hell.”

He stood and placed two shopping bags on her desk. “I got pretty much everything I could find at the store that’s supposed to help with a cold. But first thing’s first. Are you hungry?”

She shook her head and he smiled, producing a cup of soup. “You need to eat, babe. Zack said you’ve been asleep all afternoon. He told me he came to check on you when he heard you come home earlier but you were knocked out. So, come on…up you go.”

Zack had been home this whole time? She couldn’t believe she’d been that out of it. With some coaxing, Zig helped her into a sitting position and propped pillows up behind her. He was being so thoughtful and caring. It was hard to imagine how she tolerated being sick before he came around. She thought back to the day she’d helped him ice his hand after he’d punched Sebastian. Who knew this gorgeous sweetheart would also have some hidden nursing skills?

While she got comfortable in her new position, he opened up the soup and handed it to her. She let the steam hit her face and sighed. “I bet this would smell great if my nose wasn’t so stuffed up.” She took a few sips and sighed in content. “It’s really good. And chicken noodle is my favorite. Thank you for all of this…I really appreciate it.”

He nodded. “No problem. Hopefully something here helps you feel better. Do you need anything else?”

“Yeah.” She set her soup down.

“What?”

She smirked. “You…right here.“

She patted a spot next to her in bed before pausing mid-motion. “Wait, no…I’m sorry. You don’t have to come sit with me. You’ll catch my cold.”

He ignored her, sliding beside her in the bed and leaning against her headboard. She snuggled into him, her soup left forgotten on the bedside table. He wrapped his arms snugly around her.

“Comfortable?”

“Oh, yeah.”

She could hear the steady drum of his heartbeat beat and it was supremely calming. Momentarily, her eyes drifted shut as she inhaled the scent of his cologne mixed with coffee beans. It was mesmerizing. Pretty soon, she could feel herself nodding off. Zig ran his thumb along her cheekbone.

“You can’t fall asleep when you have a guest over. It’s not polite,” he teased and she squeezed him.

“You’re not a guest. You’re Zig.  _ My  _ Zig.”

He nuzzled his cheek against her forehead. “That’s true. But it does look like you need to get some rest. So, I’m gonna go, okay?”

She shook her head stubbornly her fingers fisting his shirt. “No.”

He chuckled. “You’re not letting me leave?”

“Definitely not. Having you here makes me feel better.”

He paused as if considering his options for allowing a small smile to materialize on this lips. “Fine. Maybe I can stay for a little while.”

After a pause, he gently stroked her arm. She glanced up at him and he was gazing down at her intently as if he wanted to say something.

“What’s up? Is something wrong?” She tried to keep her voice playful but felt a slight tightening of her chest. Her anxiety was starting to creep in. 

“Nothing. I was just wondering...earlier you said you were having a bad day. Other than being sick, what happened?”

She waved it off dismissively. “It wasn’t anything major…my favorite shoes got a hole in them and Becca was her normal, rude self and stupid Sebastian pissed me off…”

“Wait, what did he do?!” Zig had completely tensed up and his expression had transformed into an angry scowl.

“Hey, Zig, it’s okay. He didn’t touch me or anything. He was just trying to get a rise out of me by insulting Chris’ new student council initiative. No biggie.”

Zig relaxed, heaving a frustrated sigh. “Alright, but you’ll tell me if he ever does anything to hurt you, promise?”

“Promise. But that’s it…just a lot of little things that added up to one rough day. And like I said earlier, you made it better.”

Zig kissed her cheek and she responded with a loud, long yawn. They both chuckled.

“Wow, I’m sorry I’m boring you so much with my kisses.”

She grimaced. She could tell he was joking but she still felt guilty. “Zig, I’m so sorry. I really do need to go back to sleep, I guess. Will you stay here a little bit longer? It’ll help me relax.”

He paused to search her eyes and she made her expression as forlorn and sickly as she could. He shook his head in amusement. "How could I say no to that face?”

Satisfied, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest again. Within seconds, fatigue began to overtake her. He was so warm and strong and she practically melted into his embrace. Before she completely lost consciousness, she felt his fingertips graze her hairline and then he gently kissed her temple. She smiled. She couldn’t have asked for a better way to drift off to sleep.

And, with Zig there to care for her, she knew she’d be feeling well again in no time.

 


	10. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So, I'm finally posting a new chapter to this series. Yay! I apologize for the lack of consistency but I have to get myself in the mood to write and then edit enough to share what I wrote. I actually started at least 4 or 5 others stories about this pairing months ago that I hope to actually complete here soon so I can post them. But let me talk a bit about this one.
> 
> I wrote this pretty recently, toward the end of the Junior book. We all remember the chapter where she gets trapped in the burning old frat house and managed to escape. When she gets home, she breaks down, tells her LI everything, and sweet angsty comforting proceeds. My MC is paired up with Zig, and so I already knew it was going to be such a good moment. It was better than I expected. He's just so good at listening and comforting and problem solving that I can't get enough of seeing those moments. So, after I read that chapter, I couldn't help imagining what it might have been like if things had gone a slightly different way...with Zig being able to track her down and save her from the burning building. Here is my alternate version of that scene. Hope you like it!

_This can’t be happening. It can’t end this way._

These were the only words swirling away in her mind as black smoke billowed around her and she struggled to not breathe in the toxic fumes. Arm over her mouth, she wheezed and coughed, staying as close to the ground as possible.

How could Beau go this far? Was he so willing to prove his ability to pull pranks that he would commit murder? Because, at this point, she was certain she wouldn’t survive this.

Splintering wood began to crack and pop around her as the fire continued to feed on and consume the old building. By the time she reached a window near what she hoped was the front of the house, she was too weak to stand, let alone break out to escape. She crumpled to the floor, savoring what little clean air she had left and felt her eyes fill with tears. It looked like this might be the end of the line for her.

Her thoughts immediately shifted to Zig and that’s when the tears began to flow. She’d miss him more than anyone. All of their hopes and dreams for a future...their long talks about their dream home and starting a family...traveling the world together. It appeared that none of that was meant to be.

Then, as if coming out of a cloud, she had a hit of inspiration. She called his number, placed the phone on speaker, and waited for him to answer. By the second ring she heard his familiar voice come through.

“Hey, babe.”

“Zig...please...help…” was all she could manage initially. She was hit with another coughing fit that rendered her momentarily speechless. Consciousness was fading as she lowered herself onto the floor near her phone.

“What’s wrong? Where are you!?”

“Please...help....” she breathed. Then, as one final parting word to him she choked out, “I love you.”

“Babe! Hold on...I’m coming. I’ll find you. Just hang on for me!”

But she couldn’t anymore. Those words were the last she heard before darkness overtook her.

~o0o~

He was already running out of the apartment and to his car when he heard her pleading for his help. She sounded so far away and muddled that panic gripped him. When she stopped responding, he knew he had only moments to track her down. He continued talking through the phone as he pulled up his mapping app and selected the location sharing function. There she was...only minutes away? How could that be?

He sped toward the pulsing blue dot, hoping against hope that she was okay. Eventually the call went dead just as he pulled into the front of an abandoned building engulfed in flames.

“Shit! Why is she here?”

He sprinted to the entrance, tried the door knob and recoiled. It was burning hot. He went to the first window he could and knocked it open. He knew this would introduce more air to the flames which was not good, but he saw no other way to get to her.

“Baby, I’m here! Where are you?”

As if by luck, he peered through the now broken window and saw her still form lying just beneath the window.

“Thank God!” he breathed sliding inside and picking her up in his arms. He also snatched up her phone. Somehow he managed to avoid the fire licking out the window and placed her on the ground outside, following close behind her.

She was covered head to toe in soot and ash, and didn’t move an inch when he touched her. He felt for a pulse and felt something so weak, he wasn’t sure it could be considered a true heartbeat. Her chest was still and he knew she wasn’t breathing. He had no clue how long she’d been without oxygen, but based on the time frame of when she called and then when he arrived, it hadn’t been long. Now was the time to act.

“It’s okay. I've got you,” he spoke aloud to no one in particular as he began administering CPR. Within the first cycle, her eyes suddenly shot open and she inhaled long and loud before turning to her side, lost in a coughing fit.

“You’re okay. That’s it. Just breathe,” Zig encouraged, slowly rubbing her back. His entire body was shaking with adrenaline, relief and remnants of fear. Suddenly, he began to hear the blaring sirens of emergency vehicles in the distance and knew help was on the way.

“Zig?” She whispered in confusion as she looked around. Suddenly, she seemed to remember what happened and her eyes overflowed with tears. “You saved me?”

“Of course. I told you I’d never let anything bad happen to you.”

She broke into loud sobs as she threw her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you.” She whispered the words over and over like a mantra and tears began to fill his own eyes.

“I thought I lost you there for a second. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

As the sirens rang out even louder, she suddenly shifted away from Zig, trying and failing to stand to her feet.

“Hey, stop! You need to stay here and wait for help. You could have inhaled too much smoke or who knows what else!” Zig sounded more panicked than ever and he didn’t care.

She shook her head vehemently, trying again to get to her feet. She stumbled and Zig’s arms were around her instantly, steadying her.

“I can’t be here when they come. I’ll explain it all later, but right now we have to leave before anyone sees us.”

She let out a few raspy coughs and Zig frowned. “I don’t like this plan, but I’ll go with it for now. If we get home and you don’t start looking and sounding better, we’re going straight to the ER.”

She nodded, gripping his hand and attempting to pull him toward his car. “Yes, I agree. But we have to _leave_.”

They both hurried to his waiting car and he pulled away just as the emergency vehicles rounded the corner.

“Wow. That was close,” she spoke quietly and Zig nodded, his right hand gripping her left hand tightly.

“Yeah. In more ways than one.”

They shared a meaningful glance as they continued the short ride home.

~o0o~

They’d finally reached their place and Zig had quickly ushered her inside. He made her get cleaned up and comfortable before letting her tell her story. He’d listened patiently as she told him about the entire evening, starting from when she left him earlier to her losing consciousness in the inferno. As the story unfolded, she could sense him tensing up more and more. Now, as she waited anxiously for his response, his jaw was working and his eyes had narrowed to slits as he stood against the wall, arms folded.

“So, let me get this right. You followed Beau to this abandoned frat house to try to get evidence that he’s been the one sabotaging all of us. However, he knew you were following him, lured you there, set the building on fire, and then videoed you trying to escape?”

She nodded, her eyes welling up. Everything sounded so stupid and idiotic when he summarized it.

“And, that’s why you didn’t want to be seen there. Because they would start asking you questions. And, even if you tried to tell them the truth, Beau would show them the video which would incriminate you in setting the fire.”

She nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. She let out a choked sob, a combination of her emotions and the after effects of her ordeal.

“I don’t even know what to say. l know I made bad choice after bad choice and you have no reason to trust me anymore. If you want me to go, I can. I’ll call up Zack maybe and just-”

Zig interrupted her by walking over and pulling her up into his arms, his strong embrace enveloping her.

“Stop. Just stop talking.” He spoke barely above a whisper, his own voice sounding unsteady.

“Zig…” she trailed off, then buried her face into his shoulder. Her damp hair spilled across his arm but she barely noticed. The shower had helped clear her head, but this moment was more helpful than anything else.

“I know it seems like I should be mad. And, honestly, I was frustrated when you left earlier. But more than that, I’ve just been worried about you. I’ve been scared that you were pulling away because you’re not happy anymore. That I’m not enough anymore. That maybe you didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

She pulled back from him then and gazed into his eyes in shock. The raw hurt she saw there made her own tears fall even faster.

“It’s never been about you. It’s been me trying to do everything alone like always. I’m so sorry for making you feel that way. It’s all my fault. But you should know that you are everything to me. When I was trapped in that house, convinced I wasn’t going to survive, _you_ were the only person I thought of. Please forgive me.”

Their foreheads drifted together until they rested lightly against each other. Momentarily, he spoke. “It’s okay. And I shouldn’t have let it get this far. I knew something was wrong and I just let it happen. I let you drift away from me. I hope you can forgive me for not protecting you like I promised.”

She shook her head, taking his face in her hands. “Thank you for saying that, but you have nothing to apologize for. You’ve been nothing but supportive and you’ve done all you could to connect to me. I was the one being a massive jerk. And, tonight, you literally saved my life. Like, I wouldn’t be standing here right now without you. I just...I don’t know if it’s possible for me to love you more than I do right now.”

He carefully tilted his head, his lips finally resting against hers. His touch was so gentle and tender that she felt warmth well up inside of her. If it was possible to express unconditional love through a kiss, he’d just done it.

As they pulled apart, she suddenly felt the world start to tilt on its axis. She instinctively gripped Zig’s forearms as she closed her eyes. Apparently her adventure in the fiery building was taking a bigger toll than she thought.

Zig reacted instantly. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re feeling sick?” He immediately shifted to caregiver mode, guiding her to the couch and lowering her down gently beside him. She shook her head briefly.

“No, it’s okay. I just got lightheaded. I think I still need more time to recover from....everything.”

He handed her a glass of water which she drank gratefully. Still, he eyed her uncertainly as she sat there and she could sense he was waiting for her to faint or worse. She forced a small smile, squeezing his arm.

“I’m fine. I’m not made of glass so stop staring at me like I’m about to break.” She meant to sound teasing but he didn’t even crack a smile. Instead he gave a small nod and patted her leg. She refocused on her water as he stood to his feet. After several moments, she finally noticed him pacing back and forth. She set down her glass, her eyebrow quirked up in concern.

“Babe? I swear I’m okay. I don’t want you to be worried.”

His fists were balled at his sides as he continued his movements. “Of course I’m still worried! I won’t stop worrying until _I’m_ sure you're really okay. But right now, I’m thinking about something else. I wish I could explain to you how hard it is to not jump in my car, drive down to the Alpha house, and beat the living shit out of Beau.”

She smiled sadly as she nodded. It was obvious now that he was displaying the typical signs of intense anger. She walked toward him, stopping him in his tracks and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I know. And believe me, I want to join you. We could double team him.”

He chuckled hoarsely at her joke and then slipped his hands onto her waist as well.

“But, I know this will all work out. I’ll talk to Nathan tomorrow. Like I said, he’s been helping me with the investigation this whole time. It was his idea to keep it under wraps and, though I regret not telling you, I do think it’s helped us get more information. So, Beau will get what's coming to him.”

Zig frowned with a deep sigh. “Are we sure we can trust Nathan? Not to be _that_ guy, but you just met him and we barely know him. I know he’s done a lot for Tyler and he was there for you when you were feeling frustrated about us, but I don’t know. I just get a weird vibe from him.”

She bit her lip, nodding. “I know how it looks. And, yes there’s a part of me that has wondered if I can completely trust him. But, at this point, he’s our best chance. And, he hasn’t given me a reason to doubt him yet. So, let’s just rest tonight and go straight over there tomorrow morning.”

Zig nodded, blowing out a breath. He’d stopped pacing which was a good sign.

“And, if he is messing with us, I still have my evidence. We can all go together to talk to the Dean and get this whole mess straightened out. But, right now, as much as I appreciate you wanting to defend me, I need you here with me. All the way here.”

His eyes snapped up and met hers as her lip began to tremble. She knew she was about to cry again and didn’t care.

“Zig, I’m still having a hard time with what just happened. I was almost burned alive tonight. Another person put me in a position where they could’ve killed me. And, I’m-um...trying to sit with that. But I c-can’t do that alone. I’m too s-scared.”

Her tears resurfaced and she shielded her eyes with a hand, trying to minimize his view of her. She felt his arms came around her so gently that she could only describe the embrace as perfect. She resumed her position, leaning into his chest as more sobs escaped her lips, but they weren’t as intense as earlier.

“I keep thinking about that, too. The idea of losing you is just…” he trailed off, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat, continuing to hold her. “But I'm here now. I’m not going anywhere. So tell me what you need from me. I’ll do anything.”

Her breath continued to hitch as her tears finally subsided. “You’re already doing it. Just being here with me... _this_ is precisely what I need.”

He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her warmly. “Let’s go lay down. I’m worried about you. You're still coughing a little and you nearly passed out just a moment ago. You need rest. Plus, I will literally be by your side. No worries.”

She nodded as she let him guide her to their room. Within moments, they were both snuggled under the comforter, his arms encircling her. The lights were dimmed, mainly because she was too scared to have them all the way off. Momentarily she timidly asked a question.

“What happens if I can’t sleep? If, when I close my eyes, I see the fire and smoke and I start to freak out?” She could feel her heart rate increasing at the thought.

“If that happens, I’ll be right here. And if you wake up and I’m not here, just call for me. I won’t be far away. I won't let you go through this alone.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a long, silent moment before he leaned down to softly kiss her nose. “I love you more than anything. You know that right?” he murmured.

She nodded, a small smile coming to her lips. “I do. But I still love you more.”

“I seriously doubt that, but you can have the one-up just for tonight.”

They chuckled lightly before sharing one last tender kiss. Then they lowered themselves down to sleep. In the relative darkness, she felt Zig’s fingertips trailing meandering paths through her hair. She released a shuddered yet contented breath.

He’d shown up again to rescue her. Just like with Sebastian at the coffee shop. Just like at the concert riot. Just like so many other moments in the past three years they'd known each other. Whether it was to save her from danger or from herself, he was always there.

She finally allowed her eyes to drift closed as she felt the soft brush of his lips against her temple.

“Don’t worry. I’m here,” he whispered.

She smiled faintly, allowing that promise to guide her into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
